Tri-Citian accused of crashing stolen plane was on bail for threat to kill store employee

A Richland man accused of stealing and crashing a plane in Western Washington was out of jail on bail after being accused of threatening to kill a Pasco store employee.

Richard Jordal, 59, was upgraded from critical to serious condition in the intensive care unit at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Tuesday, seven days after crashing in the rainforest on the Olympic Peninsula.

According to Franklin County Superior Court documents, he went into Lowe’s in Pasco on June 30 and initially complained about a dishwasher that had not been delivered, according to an employee there, who later filed for a protection order against Jordal.

The employee walked away from Jordal for about 10 minutes to look up information about the dishwasher when he was paged because Jordal had purchased a tool box and a wheel had fallen off when it was on a cart, according to court documents.

Jordal complained the tool box could have fallen on his kids and that he planned to sue.

He then asked three times “you want to see my 9mm,” according to court documents. The Lowe’s employee also said that Jordal was making racially offensive remarks to another worker.

The first employee called 911 and Jordal left for a nearby restaurant. There police found him with a gun in is backpack, according to court documents.

According to court documents, police told the employee that Jordal had a history of mental health issues.

The Lowe’s employee opted not to pursue the charges but Jordal was permanently barred from the store.

But court documents allege Jordal returned to the store July 3, yelling, swearing and threatening to harm the employee.

Jordal was “right up close” and “in the face” of the employee, according to court documents. The employee said he could smell alcohol on Jordal’s breath.

The employee, concerned about his safety and the safety of others, left the store. Jordal followed him but took off.

Jordal was arrested in the second incident on suspicion of second degree burglary and felony harassment with a threat to kill or do bodily harm.

He posted $5,000 bail and was released from jail.

Jordal also has pending cases in Yakima County for alleged felony harassment. On one he posted $20,000 bail Aug. 13 and is scheduled to appear in court this week.

Plane crash

Five days after posting bail in Yakima, Jordal was at the airport in Port Townsend on Aug. 18 asking to rent a plane, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. He was turned away when he couldn’t produce a pilot’s license or insurance.

Shortly after that a Cessna 150 was stolen from the airport, according to The Leader, the Port Townsend newspaper.

A plane crash was reported around 10:30 p.m. that night near La Push, a village on the Olympic Peninsula about 100 miles from where the plane went missing.

A Navy helicopter crew spotted the downed plane in the forest the next morning, and Jordal was found alive in the wreckage.

Sheriff’s officials said he only had a student license for flying planes.

This story was originally published August 25, 2020 at 5:00 AM.